Reviews? Pretty please?

~#~

We Can Work It Out

Lorelai hesitated before lightly knocking on the door wondering if this was a good idea. She was sure her appearance at a later-than-usual hour would raise some questions, but after walking away from Luke, she was still faced with the prospect of going home to an empty house and she knew she couldn't do it. Rory wasn't speaking to her and Luke was gone. There was only thing left to her at this point.

The door swung open and she inclined her head to look up into a pair of masculine eyes.

"Lorelai!" Jackson said in surprise. He gaped at her. Every time he saw Lorelai, she was always outgoing and vivacious, exuding confidence. He was startled by the woman standing before him now. She appeared withdrawn and clearly troubled, a far cry from her usual self.

"Hey Jackson," Lorelai managed to smile at him feebly. "Can I come in? Is Sookie still awake? I was hoping to go over some stuff for the Inn." All she had left now was The DragonFly. She hoped could focus on that to get her through the mess that was her personal life.

It took a moment for Jackson to register what she had said before he reacted. "Of course! C'mon in. I'll just get Sookie. She's putting Davey to sleep."

"Don't get her," Lorelai stopped him. She already knew it was late and she was imposing. She didn't want to disrupt Davey's bedtime ritual. "I can wait until she's finished."

Jackson motioned her to a chair. "He was almost asleep when I looked in on them a while ago. I'm sure he's down for the night by now."

Lorelai deflated a little in acquiescence and meekly went to sit on the couch as Jackson disappeared.

A few moments later, Sookie appeared. "Lorelai?" she queried in an uncertain tone. She'd been surprised when Jackson had come into Davey's room to let her know that Lorelai was there. She became worried when Jackson urged her to see her immediately because he thought something was very wrong. Looking at her friend, she completely understood why Jackson was concerned.

When Sookie entered the living room, Lorelai stood up. Sookie could see Lorelai was very upset but heroically struggling to contain her feelings. She had her arms wrapped around her, almost as if she were trying to comfort herself.

"Hey Sookie," Lorelai greeted her in what she hoped was a normal tone. She painted a falsely bright smile on her face and launched into her flimsy excuse for being there. "I was thinking," she rushed on, before Sookie could say a word, "and you know what happens when I think. I have a few ideas about some personal touches for the Inn. What do you think about me stitching pillowcases with dragonflies on them? Guests may be impressed that I made the effort to personalize the linens."

Silently, Sookie came up to her and put her hands on Lorelai's arms and guided her back down to the couch before sitting down next to her. Whatever was bothering Lorelai, had gone on long enough. Sookie needed to get to the bottom of it.

"Let me get this straight: you've been running yourself ragged these past weeks trying to get everything ready on time and now you want to take on more work?" she questioned incredulously. "Lorelai, what's wrong? Something is going on with you and its time you got it off your chest." She leaned forward and tentatively laid her hand on Lorelai's forearm. "What is it?"

"It's…" Lorelai took a great gulp of air trying to steady her nerves and behave normally. "It's…" she tried again teetering on the edge. She finally broke. "Oh Sookie, it's awful! Everything is so screwed up!" she sobbed as she covered her face with her hands.

Sookie put her arms around her friend, offering whatever support and comfort she could. She let her cry, letting Lorelai get the first major wave of emotion out of her system before saying anything else.

"Tell me what happened," she finally encouraged her as Lorelai's sobs began to quiet. Sookie hated seeing her like this. She rubbed her back. "Whatever it is we'll find a way to fix it."

Lorelai sniffled, taking deep breaths, fighting to regain control. The desire to get everything off her chest was suddenly so overwhelming. She couldn't keep it in any longer. "It's about Rory," she began.

"She's okay?" Sookie asked urgently, suddenly scared something might have happened to her.

"She's fine, physically fine," Lorelai assured her. "It's just she… and I was…and then Luke…"

"Luke?" Sookie repeated confused. "What's Luke got to do with this?"

Lorelai took another steadying breath knowing she had to come clean about everything from the beginning. "It all started with the bet I made with Luke," she began.

"You mean him having to help out with the Inn? I don't understand."

"Ah, that wasn't the bet exactly," Lorelai said coloring slightly. "The bet was that Luke provide his services wherever needed."

"O-kay," Sookie said struggling to follow along how Rory fit into a casual bet between Luke and Lorelai.

Lorelai twisted her hands. "I thought I was being so clever wording it that way, covering all possible contingencies," she explained. "I rooked him into helping me make decisions on The DragonFly. I played the bet as my trump card to get him to go on the overnight visits with me…"

"Luke went with you to both of the Inns?" Sookie cut in, shocked by this revelation. "Wait, when I joked about making him go you never said a word."

"I changed the subject," Lorelai reminded her, "because I didn't want to get into what happened."

Sookie gazed at Lorelai, waiting for her to continue.

"The concept of 'services' took on a whole new meaning," she explained delicately, blushing more profusely. "We sort of," she took a deep breath, "we sort of did it that first weekend."

"Did what?" Sookie asked, confused.

Lorelai stared at her incredulously. When Sookie didn't react, she merely repeated, "It." Lorelai gazed at her intently, trying to lead her to the obvious conclusion.

It took Sookie a few more seconds before her eyes rounded and her mouth dropped open. "Oh my god!" her voice rose in both pitch and volume and Lorelai immediately shushed her. A million questions popped into Sookie's brain. "You and Luke did it? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Sook, at the time, I thought I was upset about it," Lorelai confessed. "I thought it was just a weak moment, a one-time thing. I was afraid I had wrecked my friendship with Luke." She shifted on the couch uncomfortably, not about to reveal any details. "Everybody in the town has always been pushing me and Luke together. Once we started, um, on a regular basis, it was like an unspoken agreement between us not to say anything …"

"What?!?" Sookie all but shrieked. "You're telling me for the past few weeks you and Luke…?"

"Yeah," Lorelai managed a sad but sweet smile.

"That is so great!" Sookie gushed enthusiastically. Lorelai's crestfallen face made her change her mind. "Isn't it?"

"It was Sookie," Lorelai agreed. "One of the reasons I didn't say anything was I wanted to talk to Rory about it first, in person. She'd been so busy at Yale that we could never find the time to get together so I could tell her." Lorelai blew out a shaky sigh as she went on. "And then earlier this week, Rory came home unexpectedly and found me and Luke together."

"Together?" Sookie questioned. She turned her head slightly as she contemplated Lorelai's words. "Together," she repeated. "You don't mean—"

"That's exactly what I mean," Lorelai confirmed. "We were covered up but we were in bed and there was no mistaking what we were doing."

"Oh wow," Sookie commented hollowly, her mind boggling at the scenario. "What happened?"

"She left the room and I went after her. I tried talking to her but Sook, she was so hurt and angry that I hadn't told her. She left and refuses to talk to me. I haven't spoken to her since. She's not at Yale; she's not at my parents'. I don't know where she is."

"Oh, honey," Sookie commiserated. "What does Luke say about it?"

Lorelai's eyes flooded with tears of shame. "I've kind of been avoiding him since the day it happened."

"Why?" Sookie asked before she could stop herself.

"He originally thought I was stringing him along, sleeping with him because of the bet to keep him helping out with The DragonFly," Lorelai explained. "That day, I persuaded him that wasn't true but I didn't know how to tell him how bad things were with Rory, so I stopped seeing him altogether." She hunched her shoulders recalling this evening's painful confrontation. "I was an idiot not to confide in him, Sookie. Now he's convinced that I'm not ready for a relationship and he's taking off indefinitely, probably to get over it."

"He broke it off?" Sookie's eyed her in disbelief. She couldn't believe Luke would do such a thing let alone leave. She like the rest of the town knew how Luke felt about Lorelai.

"I don't know," Lorelai admitted. "But he's going away tonight to think about it. He's going to realize I'm too much work and that will be it," she said as if it were a foregone conclusion.

"Lorelai, after all these years of wanting you, he's not going to give up so easily," Sookie reassured her. She could see Lorelai's eyes were still clouded with doubt but didn't know how else to convince her. "And Rory," she said trying to point out the reality of the situation, "she had to know some day you would find someone. She didn't expect you to stay single the rest of her life did she?"

"No," Lorelai acknowledged, "but finding me and Luke together in the house? It's always been the two of us. I mean, there was Max, but even though we were going to get married, Rory knew I was having issues with him at the house. There's never been a guy that seriously challenged the no boys rule until now. And Luke is not just some random guy."

"Well, she is used to Luke being around; he's always there fixing something. She already cares about him and has to know he cares about her."

"Yeah," Lorelai sniffed.

"You've got to get in touch with her and talk to her somehow," Sookie reasoned. "I'm sure once she gets over the shock, she'll be all for it. Then you need to talk to Luke."

"He's gone," Lorelai stated mournfully.

"He'll be back," Sookie declared confidently, "and then you can tell him how you feel."

"He told me he loved me," Lorelai remembered suddenly. "Oh god, he told me he loved me and I just walked away from him! He must think I don't care about him at all, that I was just using him!"

Lorelai tears started anew. Sookie hugged her close. Over the years, she'd watched Lorelai fumble through relationships with men. She'd watched Lorelai and Luke dance around each other, neither of them ever crossing that line. She'd seen Lorelai and Rory argue before but never like this. She wracked her brain for anything to say to make the situation seem less dire but she was pretty sure it would take a minor miracle to make things right once again.

~#~

Rory entered the town square for the second time that night. She anxiously scanned the crowd looking for her mother, hoping she would find her. She made a tour of the entire festival with no luck. She was nearing her original starting point when she met up with Lane.

"Rory!" Lane greeted her in surprise. "What happened? What are you doing here?"

"I can't find my mom," Rory fretted. "She wasn't at home and she's not answering her cell. Have you seen her?"

"Not since we saw her before," Lane replied regretfully.

"What about Luke?" Rory asked. "Have you seen him?"

"Not since before," Lane repeated.

They both gazed at the throng of people but neither saw him. By some unspoken word, they both headed in the direction of the diner. They could see that both it and the apartment upstairs were dark.

"Where could he be?" Rory wondered aloud. No sooner were the words out of her mouth than a single light flared behind the counter in the diner. Lane nodded her encouragement and Rory set off for Luke's.

Luke had quickly gotten some clothes and his fishing gear stored in the truck. He had called Cesar and made arrangements for him to run the diner while he was gone. The last thing he needed to do was gather some food for the road even though he wasn't the least bit hungry. He was packing some sandwiches when he heard the knock on the door.

"We're closed," he shouted without turning around.

As the knocking continued, he gritted his teeth. He knew of only one person who was that persistent. He steeled himself for another confrontation then turned around and was momentarily stunned into immobility.

Rory was tapping at the door.

Luke hurried to the door and unlocked it letting her in.

"Rory." Luke literally did not know what to say. This was the first time he'd seen her since Tuesday. He closed the door behind her.

"Is my mom here?" Rory queried.

"No," Luke replied. "I haven't seen her since earlier this evening. Isn't she at home?"

"No, I was just there," Rory said distractedly, clearly upset. "I need to find her. Where can she be?"

"I don't know," Luke answered honestly. He shifted a little uncomfortably, feeling he should say something. "Rory…about the other day—"

"Luke," Rory suddenly snapped out of her fog and focused on him intently. "I'm so sorry about what happened." She noticed a little color darken his cheeks and she felt her own blush as well. "I shouldn't have barged in and then said those things afterward. I never gave her a chance to explain. I was childish and self-centered. Can you forgive me?"

"The question is can you forgive me?" Luke countered. "I know that you always come first with your mom and that's the way it should be. I never meant to come between the two of you and cause trouble."

"You didn't Luke," Rory assured him as she laid a hand on his arm, "Mom should be living her life not baby-sitting me. It's time for her to do something for herself for a change. She should be with you, I know that."

Although Luke was encouraged by her words, he knew he and Lorelai still had issues to resolve. "Rory, your mom and I, well, maybe now isn't the right time for us. She has too much going on right now."

"Luke, no," Rory said guiltily. It would be all her fault if they broke up over this. "I know everything will be okay, if you just come with me talk to Mom."

"Rory," Luke said firmly, "you go find your mom and talk to her." He moved back a few paces, clearly indicating he wasn't about to go with her.

"You won't help me find her?" Rory queried, shocked.

Luke blew out a breath. For a second, Rory sounded like a little lost girl and the urge to give in and go with her was almost overpowering but he stood his ground. "You don't need me to find her. I'm sure she will be home soon."

"I need you to come with me," she pleaded.

"Rory, you have to talk to Lorelai alone," he advised her. "You need to tell her what's going on with you, with school," he paused. "You need to spend time with her. I know she's really missed you these past weeks. All she needs is you."

"No, Luke," she disagreed. She would make it right between her and her mother, but it was equally important that she fix things between her mother and Luke. She gave him her best pleading look coupled with her best pout hoping to sway him. "Please?"

Luke stared at Rory, recognizing all the tricks that Lorelai had used on him since the day they met, struggling to remain firm.

~#~

Lorelai sat on the couch, clutching a pillow. When she finally screwed up her courage to leave Sookie's and come home, Sookie packed a quick care package of comfort food to tide her over. A huge piece of her seven-layer chocolate torte sat on the coffee table untouched.

Try as she might, Lorelai couldn't stop herself from crying. She thought with all the tears she'd shed already she wouldn't be able to cry anymore, but her tears continued to quietly trickle down her cheeks as she relived her confrontation with Rory and then the one tonight with Luke. At the rate she was going, she was afraid she'd ruin every close relationship she had and truly be alone.

Lorelai cocked her head, thinking she heard the sound of the front door opening but sure her mind was playing tricks on her. The next moment proved her wrong.

"Mom?" Rory called out. "Are you here?"

Lorelai rose from the couch and turned just as Rory came through the archway.

"Mom!" Rory rushed towards her, throwing her arms around her mother. "Oh, Mom, I'm so sorry about everything."

Lorelai squeezed Rory tightly, rejoicing that she was holding her daughter, her best friend in her arms once again. "Hey, kiddo," she said in a shaky voice. "I am so glad to see you." She let out a huge sigh of relief, suddenly re-energized just by the physical contact with her daughter. "And you don't have to apologize for a thing. I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. I wasn't honest with you about what was going on and I broke all of our rules when I brought a boy into the house. I should have told you." She pulled back a little so she could see Rory's face. "Can you forgive me?"

"Mom, its okay," Rory reassured her. "Really."

"Still it was a crappy way for you to find out," Lorelai chastised herself. Her mother's intuition kicked in as she set aside her own guilt for the moment to focus on her daughter's welfare. "You came home that day because something was wrong, didn't you?"

Rory's eyes fell, knowing it was time for her to reveal everything. "I had to drop a class. My professor and my advisor pretty much told me I had too. I guess I can't hack the workload. I'm sorry." She hung her head in embarrassment at her failure.

"Rory!" Lorelai gently remonstrated. "There's no shame in dropping a class! For weeks now I've been so worried about you; you've been so overworked. It's not like you aren't still going to be carrying a full load!"

"But Grandpa was able to handle it. I should've been able to too."

"Honey," Lorelai said as she stroked Rory's hair. "The only person you need to measure up to is yourself. I want you to get a great education and get good grades but I want you to have fun at Yale too. You need to follow your own rules. You're just as good as or better than your Grandpa," Lorelai declared. "I'm sure he'll agree."

They hugged once again then Rory drew back. "Speaking of rules, I think its time to change the house rules too. Mom, you and Luke would be so good together. Again I'm so sorry about the other day. Now that I've thought about it, I'm more than okay with it. Not the walking in part but the rest of it. Luke is perfect for you! I'm so happy for you guys!"

Lorelai released Rory and turned away, her high spirits at having her daughter back plummeting. "Thank you for your stamp of approval, but it looks like the concept of me and Luke is just a pipe dream." She let out a ragged breath. "I screwed up big-time with him. I didn't tell him we weren't talking. God, I didn't tell him how much I care about him." Her mouth trembled as she gave Rory a watery look, her eye full of tears. "I'm afraid it might be over."

"It'll never be over, Lorelai," Luke said.

Lorelai turned to see Luke framed in the archway. He'd hung back outside, giving Rory the much-needed alone time with Lorelai, the chance for both mother and daughter to make amends before making his presence known. He took in her tear-stained face, her wide eyes, her mouth open in astonishment.

"Luke?" she breathed, certain her mind was playing tricks with her. Their eyes locked, they both stood motionless, staring at one another.

"When I couldn't find you earlier, I went to see Luke," Rory explained, her gaze swinging back and forth between the two of them. "I persuaded him to come back with me."

The spell that had them frozen in place broke and Luke hurried made his way into the living room as Lorelai rushed towards him. They met and were instantly in one another's arms, holding each other like they'd never let go.

"Luke," Lorelai started to cry again. "I've been such an idiot." She pulled back slightly and grabbed handfuls of his flannel, gazing at him intently. "You mean so much to me. I want you to know you are a priority in my life," she declared, one hand going up to caress his cheek. "I do love you. I should have told you that before when you said it. I love you. I love—"

"Sshh, it's alright." Luke's mouth covered hers and for a moment they melted together. Rory smiled, watching for a moment, before averting her eyes. The next moment, Luke and Lorelai drew apart, remembering Rory was present.

"Okay," Rory said brightly. "I can see my work is done here. I think I'm going to spend the night at Lane's and you two can, ah, continue what you were doing."

"Rory, no," Lorelai protested.

"Don't leave," Luke chimed in.

"We need to talk more about Yale," Lorelai reminded her.

"We will Mom," Rory promised. "I'll be back tomorrow and we can go to Luke's for breakfast and we can talk all about it but for now, I'm good, I swear." Rory realized in that moment she really was good, that her words weren't just lip service. She had survived the trauma, dropped her class and was still studying hard at Yale. Somehow she'd manage to deal with the situation in spite of everything.

Rory walked over to Lorelai and gave her a hard hug. As they separated, Lorelai hung onto to her daughter for a moment and looked hard at her, studying her. She could see by the look in Rory's eyes that she really was okay and knew that they definitely would talk. She could also tell Rory was determined to give her and Luke the chance to make everything right between them. Lorelai loosened her grasp and let her go.

Rory then stepped up quickly to Luke and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She grinned when she noticed Luke's cheeks pinken slightly. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," she waved as she headed out the door. "Good night!"

"I knew I should've let her come back alone," Luke said apologetically. He looked at Lorelai. "You two should talk."

Lorelai laid a hand on his arm. It was amazing that after a short conversation, how relieved she felt and how her confidence was restored in the certainty that she and Rory would be alright. Lorelai squeezed Luke's arm. "It's okay," she assured him. She ran her fingers down his arm and took his hand. "I think we need to talk though."

"Okay," Luke said, squeezing her hand in return, "let's talk."

"I'm so sorry for everything," Lorelai regretfully. "For tricking you into helping with The DragonFly, for my crazy behavior after we spent our first night together, for making you think I was only sleeping with you because of that stupid bet—"

"It ended last night you know," Luke informed her. "The bet."

"Good." Lorelai replied. "I don't want there to be any confusion about why I'm sleeping with you."

Luke set his hands on her waist. "So why are you sleeping with me?" he asked.

"Hmmm. Maybe because I love you," Lorelai pretended to ponder, sliding her hands up his chest and around his neck. "I'll have to keep telling you that."

"Only tell me?" Luke queried. He was becoming increasingly aware that they had the house to themselves. He knew they'd talk more but he had already heard enough to know Lorelai was truly in the relationship, that she wanted to be with him. Suddenly he was more interested in the way her soft curves molded to his body.

Lorelai smirked at him. "I'd rather show you," she admitted as she pulled his mouth down to meet hers.

They spent long breathless moments passionately kissing, neither holding anything back.

"Wow," Luke gasped as they came up for air.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet, Mister," Lorelai promised as she stepped away from him. She slipped her hand into his much-larger one and gave it a little tug as she moved to the stairs. He trailed after her, without hesitation and they quickly ascended the steps.

Lorelai led Luke into her bedroom, closing the door behind them, leaning against it and giving him a sultry smile. Her hands went to her blouse as she easily undid the buttons. Luke watched her almost hypnotically, his own hands moving of their own accord, making quick work of his flannel shirt before drawing his t-shirt over his head.

Lorelai pushed away from the door, tossing her blouse aside. She laid her hand flat on Luke's chest, splaying her fingers as she slid her hand upward to cup his cheek. She relaxed against him, the warmth of skin on skin making her lacy bra seem non-existent. They kissed deeply.

Luke's hands slid down to cup her ass, pulling her into his body, letting her feel how much he wanted her. As they drew apart, his hands glided around her waist to the fastening on her pants. Following his lead, Lorelai dropped her hands to the waistband of his jeans and deftly undid the button before slowly drawing down his zipper, skimming his erection,

They drew apart completely to finish the task the other started and removed the rest of their clothing. Luke stood and admired Lorelai, his hand reaching out to cup her breast. Lorelai closed her eyes as a shiver of anticipation shot through her body. She opened her eyes and maneuvered around him until his back was to her bed. Using her fingertips, she lightly pressed him backwards. When Luke came in contact with the mattress, he fell back and positioned himself on the bed.

It was Lorelai's turn to admire Luke. Her eyes sparkled wickedly as she took in his passion-darkened eyes then traveled down his heaving chest then further down to his engorged manhood.

"Hmmm," she said speculatively, remembering the last time they were together. "Now where were we when we were so rudely interrupted?"

With one swift movement she threw her leg over him and with erring accuracy, sank down on him.

"Right about here," Luke managed to gasp. His fingertips were lightly resting on her ribcage as he flicked his thumbs over her hardened nipples.

"Thank god we didn't lose our place," she moaned. She felt his hands span her waist momentarily before they moved lower to grip her hips as he thrust upward. Lorelai easily, almost lasciviously rode Luke's shaft, savoring the way he filled her.

They missed each other too much though, eagerly wanted everything at once rather than take the time to go slowly. Lorelai undulated her body, hearing him grunt as she spurred him on, greedily reveling in the pleasure he was giving her while leaving herself completely open, offering all that she had. All she knew were that his quickening plunges were sending her out of her world and that the burning desire in his eyes kept her anchored to it.

Lorelai flung her head back, shouting Luke's name as she shattered under the onslaught of his ardor. Seconds later, his shout echoed her as he went over the precipice himself, maintaining the pace longer than she thought possible and continuing on as she gradually descended back to earth.

Lorelai pitched forward clutching his upper torso, spent, breathing heavily, her cheek pressed against Luke's chest, feeling the trip-hammer beat of his heart calm to a normal rhythm. Luke tightened his arms around Lorelai's back, relax and content, holding onto the perfect moment.

They lay quietly for a long time. Lorelai snuggled her cheek into his chest, the fine hairs tickling her noise. Her lips curved in a smile as his hands gently combed through her hair and she felt him occasionally press his lips to the top of her head. Finally she had to move. She wanted to look into his eyes.

"Hey," she said softly, tracing her fingertip along the side of his face, delighting in the stubble. "That was pretty amazing."

"Yeah it was," he agreed as he tucked her hair behind her ear. He tenderly eased her down next to him on the bed to give her legs a rest then turned to her, their faces just inches apart.

"You are an amazing guy," Lorelai whispered, her fingers lightly touching his face, his shoulders, his arms. "I don't think I ever told you that before but I am so lucky to have you."

He shrugged deprecatingly slightly embarrassed by her praise. His fingers lightly stroked her satiny skin.

"I am lucky," she insisted softly stating her case. "Not only do you keep me fed, you put up with my crazy antics…"

"Antics?" he repeated.

"Antics," she confirmed. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten The DragonFly put together." Lorelai's eyes were shining, "But most of all, you make me feel so safe, so secure. I think I could do anything as long as I have you by my side," she confessed tremulously. "I wanted you to know all this." Her hands were holding his face, looking deeply into his eyes so he could see the sincerity of her words.

"You don't have to say all this," Luke told her.

"Yes I do," she declared before her eyes dropped. "And I kind of feel you are getting the short end of the stick in this relationship. I don't do nearly enough for you."

"Ah, but you do," Luke rebuked her gently. "Do you have any idea what you bring to my life?" He lifted her chin so she had to meet his steady gaze. "Every time you walk into the diner, my day gets one hundred percent better. Just having you there, hell seeing you anywhere in town makes me feel alive. Before I met you, I was stuck in a dull routine. With you, I never know what to expect and I like it. Even though you sometimes participate in the lunacy that is this town…"

"Hee."

"You also understand and go along with my need to mock it." His hands moved away from her face and he put his arms around her and drew her closer. "You're a good friend, you have a good heart and I'm constantly in awe of what an incredible job you did raising Rory alone." Luke lightly massaged her back, his hands moving slowly, mapping her skin as she gave a little sigh of contentment. "You're so beautiful," he breathed, "and I consider myself the luckiest guy in the world to be with you."

"I think I'm the lucky one," she said softly. "Sometimes I feel like shouting it out loud."

"Good. Because I don't want to sneak around anymore," he told her honestly. "We've done enough of that over the past few weeks. I want to be able to go out with you in public and let people know you're mine, the hell with this town."

"Oh Luke, I want that too," Lorelai breathed as she kissed him.

Luke parted her lips with his and their tongues met as they explored each other. Their hands joined in the fun as light touches became soft caresses. Luke delicately stroked her chest, covering her firm mounds and trailing his fingers to her hardened peaks. His mouth dipped to her breasts, his tongue swirling around her nipples. Lorelai's breath hitched, overcome by waves of desire.

Luke hands continued their journey downward, lightly running his fingertips along her ribs before sliding around her hips to cup and massage her rear.

Lorelai was equally busy, her hands exploring ever inch of Luke's chest, feeling his heart pound, his body surging with desire—only for her. Luke snared her lips with his own, his tongue thrusting into her mouth to be met with her own. As their lips fused together, Lorelai's hands moved lower, one hand playing with his balls, the other fondling his shaft from base to tip. Luke groaned into her mouth before pulling back.

Luke nudged Lorelai onto her back and stared down at the dark-haired beauty who had captured his very soul. Her hair was fanned out on the pillow; her eyes took on a deep smoky hue. He could feel her spreading her legs for him as she ran her fingers through his hair. Then her arms entwined around his neck, pulling him back down for another taste of her soft lips.

Luke eased himself between her thighs, his tip brushing her damp folds. He gazed deeply into her pleading eyes. What had started as quiet pillow talk had mushroomed into a hungering need that either of them could deny.

As Luke tentatively thrust into her wet opening, she let out a little sob of pleasure. He had intended to pull out to tease her but found once he was inside her, he couldn't leave the warm, wet nest. He pushed into her with a long, steady stroke, feeling her muscles tremble around him.

"Oh god, you feel so good," Lorelai moaned. "Don't stop, Luke."

"I won't," he gasped as her muscles coiled along his length. "Oh god."

They set a slow, leisurely pace, enjoying every sigh, every ounce of desire until their tarrying rhythm blotted out everything but the need to satisfy each other. Lorelai raked her nails down Luke's back before grabbing the firm mounds his ass and holding him deeply embedded inside her. Her body throbbed, in sync with his pulsating shaft and suddenly they couldn't move quickly enough as the raw passion consumed them, lifting them to blissful heights. They surged together over and over again, completely surrendering to the sheer ecstasy.

It was much later after a slow flutter back to the bed that Luke finally withdrew. He wrapped his arms around Lorelai as she snuggled close to him. She was slipping away but managed a sleepy "I love you," before she dropped off altogether.

"I love you too," Luke whispered to her sleeping form. Even though he knew she was asleep, her mouth curved in a contented smile as if she'd heard him. By slow degrees he relaxed and drifted off holding Lorelai securely in his arms.

~#~

Lorelai stretched lazily, smiling, her eyes slowly opening to greet the day. She realized she had slept better than she had all week and the reason why instantly came flooding back to her. She turned over, tucking the sheet under her arms and looked over at the other side of the bed.

Luke lay on his back, eyes closed, sleeping. Her grin got broader. He was still there. It hadn't been a dream. She gingerly eased closer to him, careful not to wake him and propped her head up on her hand, studying him.

His hair was still tousled from last night when she'd run her fingers through his hair. His eyelashes, unfairly long, were fanned on his cheeks. The much-loved stubble was even more pronounced this morning. His mouth was relaxed and for the moment, she suppressed the urge to kiss him awake.

Lorelai let her eyes roam down his chest to where the sheet rested, before returning her gaze to his face.

"Stop staring at me," Luke said without opening his eyes.

Lorelai let out a little start of surprise. "You're awake!"

"Of course I'm awake," Luke replied. "I normally get up at quarter to five in the morning. I've been awake for a while." He finally opened his eyes.

"Uh huh," she said playing along, "and what were you doing all that time?"

Luke actually blushed a little realizing he was busted.

"You were watching me too!" Lorelai declared with a laugh.

Luke merely shrugged, neither confirming nor denying her words. He drank in the sight of her, hair slightly disheveled from their lovemaking last night, her gaze bright and happy.

Lorelai cuddled even closer to Luke, her head still propped on one hand and laid the other one on his chest. "I could get used to this," she admitted in a low loving voice.

"Me too," Luke whispered as he covered her hand with his own.

Lorelai sighed. "I don't think anything could spoil this perfect moment."

The words had barely left her mouth when the door swung open and Rory walked in. "Mom are you—ah jeez."

Rory immediately did an about-face and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She'd come in and left so quickly that Luke and Lorelai didn't have time to react.

There was a timid knock on the door.

"Gah!" Lorelai said loudly, looking down at Luke apologetically. She knew Rory was standing outside the door so she raised her voice to make sure it carried even though there was no real anger in her voice. "I do my best to raise my kid right, teach her respect and manners. You would think that even if I missed something, either that fancy prep school or the ritzy college would teach her how to knock!"

"I'm sorry," Rory bleated out plaintively. "I thought Luke would already be at the diner. I swear from this day forward, no matter what time it is, no matter if I know for a fact you are alone, I will knock!"

"I'm sure I taught you how!"

"Again, late morning and Luke's usually at the diner," Rory said in her defense.

"Rory," Luke called out, interrupting their bickering. "Why don't you go wait downstairs and we'll be down in about twenty minutes and then we'll all go to the diner."

"Okay," Rory agreed. A few seconds later, they heard Rory heading down the steps, making enough noise to let them know she had left. Luke blew out a long breath, grateful he and Lorelai hadn't been caught again in a compromising position.

"I'm so sorry," Lorelai apologized.

"We should probably start locking the door," Luke suggested.

"There's no lock," Lorelai countered.

"I'll put one on today," he offered.

"You gotta deal," Lorelai agreed. She pouted as it dawned on her that they would have to get up.

"C'mon," Luke coaxed, understanding her frustration but knowing they had no choice. "Let's get dressed."

It was closer to a half an hour when they finally came downstairs. Rory was pacing back and forth in front of the couch. She colored slightly when she saw them.

"I am so, so sorry," she began.

"We'll get better at this," Luke assured her. "Let's go to the diner for breakfast."

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said you want to go public," Lorelai commented in surprise.

"I'm tired of sneaking around," Luke answered. "The longer we cover it up, the worse it will be when they finally find out."

"Okay," Lorelai stated, nodding in agreement. "Luke's it is. Let's go."

Lorelai grabbed her purse and followed Luke and Rory out the front door and down the steps. With Rory leading the way, Luke and Lorelai crossed the lawn. Their hands brushed up against each other and their fingers twined together. Lorelai moved closer to Luke as he smiled down at her.

Babette's door opened and Babette herself stepped out onto her porch in a robe, obviously having just woken up. She stood there and yawned.

"Hi Babette!" both Gilmore girls chorused.

"Oh hey dolls," Babette squinted at them, clearly not awake yet. Per usual, she had imbibed a little too much of Patty's party punch at the festival the night before. "How's it goin?" she asked automatically before noticing the third person of their group. "Oh Luke, I didn't see ya. You guys must be heading for the diner," she said as the girls waved at her. "Kinda early for you to be over ain't it Luke?" she asked as they walked past her, without interrupting her running commentary. "Not that there's anything wrong with that," Babette rambled on, staring at them, suddenly noticing one very important detail. "Are you…" her eyes popped as she stared at their retreating forms, finally registering the fact the Luke and Lorelai were holding hands.

They were almost out of sight when all of a sudden they heard a loud, "Oh my gawd! Morey, get me the phone!" Both Luke and Lorelai winced at the volume of Babette's voice.

Lorelai glanced over at Luke. "Well you did say it was time everyone knew."

"Yeah," Luke agreed, "and from the volume of her voice I think she just told the whole town."

Lorelai chuckled in agreement as they continued on their way. As they approached the town square, they knew Babette had wasted no time. They could see Patty coming down the studio steps and hurriedly flouncing towards the diner. Kirk was sprinting across the town square and Andrew was locking up the bookstore and joined up with Gypsy who was walking by. Even Taylor hustled out of the market and headed towards the diner.

When they walked in, all conversation ceased. As packed as the place was, there was one lone table, conspicuously empty in the middle of the diner.

"I guess we're the floor show today," Lorelai quipped. The three of them made their way to the table, ignoring all of the pointed stares. Lorelai and Rory picked up menus.

The diner chimed as Babette rushed into the diner, struggling to finish buttoning up her blouse. Out of breath, she sat with Patty at her table.

"I miss anythin'?" she squawked.

"Not yet," Patty said in a low voice that still managed to carry.

Lorelai looked around the diner at the expectant faces, all waiting for something to happen. She smiled looked down at her menu but when she raised her head a few minutes later, she noticed that everyone was still staring.

"What'll you have?" Luke questioned.

"Blueberry pancakes," Rory decided.

"Jack omelet with bacon and bacon on the side," Lorelai put a hand out to stop him. "And a good morning kiss, please."

Luke's eyebrows shot up. "I kissed you this morning," he pointed out, a little embarrassed at having this conversation in front of Rory.

"True," Lorelai agreed, "but," she waved her hand around the diner, "they aren't going to stop staring unless we give them a little something." She looked up at him slyly. "You wanted to go public," she reminded him.

Luke cast his eyes about the diner at the townies, who were just cowed enough to drop their gazes from his glare only to bring their attention right back to them once he had passed on to the next person.

"I'm not into public displays of affection," Luke cautioned her. Lorelai waited patiently, pouting at him prettily and he realized she was right. They would have no peace from the townies until they had something to talk about.

"I'll be right back with your food," he said before leaning down to give Lorelai a quick soft kiss on the mouth. As the diner erupted with cheers, he straightened up and glowered at the assembly. "If you're gonna sit around my diner, you better order," he warned them.

He turned and headed towards the kitchen as he heard voices from all corners call for Lane to place their orders.

A short time later, Luke emerged with plates of food for the three of them and sat down for the first time to have breakfast with Lorelai and Rory. He sat back while they chatted about nonsensical things, laughed at themselves and followed their fast-paced banter. He felt perfectly at ease throwing out comments from time-to-time, sometimes having them gang up on him, other times joking along with him.

Lorelai drained her coffee cup. "Well, as much as I'd like to stay here all day, I have to check at the Inn," she smiled at both Luke and Rory. "You guys want to come with me?"

"Sure," Rory responded. "It's been ages since I've been there. I can't wait to see what progress you've made."

"It's really coming together," Lorelai informed her. She looked to Luke. "Care to be the third musketeer? Or maybe mouseketeer?"

Luke grinned but shook his head. "No, you and Rory go off to the Inn and spend some quality time together."

"Aw, Luke you have to come," Lorelai protested.

"Yeah, Luke," Rory urged him. "Please come with us." She tried to use her pout on him again.

This time Luke stood firm. "Go. Talk. Have fun," he insisted. At Lorelai's questioning look, he reached over and took her hand. "You guys need this. I'll see you both later."

"You promise?" Lorelai asked.

"Tell you what, I can make us dinner at the house and we can spend the evening together," Luke offered.

"Ooooh, maybe we can have a movie night!" Lorelai clapped her hands.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Oh joy."

As they stood up and collected there things to leave, Lorelai pulled Luke aside. "You really will come over tonight won't you?" she asked tentatively.

Luke leaned in close so only she could hear. "You can bet on it."

Lorelai was still laughing as she and Rory walked out the door.

Epilogue

Lorelai scurried around the Inn in full-blown panic mode. It had been a crazy three weeks getting everything ready in time. Today was the day. The test run. After Rory finished up at Yale, she'd spent all her free time pitching in, helping wherever she could. She was putting flowers on the table while Sookie polished glasses for the place settings. Everyone else was busily putting the last touches in all areas of the Inn. Everything was just about ready except for one thing—no doors.

Lorelai stressed and fretted as she listened to Tom explain about the scenic route they were taking to get there and then suddenly they arrived.

"Tom, I'm loving you like a two-dollar whore," Lorelai declared.

"Terrific, I'll tell the wife," came the deadpan reply.

Lorelai ushered her staff out to the front porch to greet her guests and hopefully give Tom and his staff time to install the doors without letting anyone know they weren't ready. As her guests disembarked, Tom unfortunately announced they were unloading the doors.

As she checked guests in, Lorelai pretended having everyone follow their doors to their rooms was all part of the inaugural Inn experience. Most of them accepted her quirky bit good-naturedly with Miss Patty giving the man who carried her door a complete head-to-toe inspection, pausing at the base of the stairs to watch the unsuspecting target walk up the steps.

Then Luke walked over the threshold, clutching a bouquet of flowers. Since this was his first time there with the Inn completely finished, he paused a moment, taking in the décor, recognizing all the fabrics, furniture, rugs and hardware he had helped select.

Lorelai approached him, giddy to see him and breathless to see his reaction to everything. Her dream to open her own Inn was coming true, and she'd put a lot of herself into it. But she realized The DragonFly was not just her, it was Luke too and it was the two of them together. Luke had put as much of himself into the place. She just reached him when she noticed the flowers he held and a flush of pleasure went through her.

"These are for you, a little congratulation," Luke said as he presented her with the flowers.

Lorelai was flustered. It wasn't that they hadn't squeezed in whatever time they could around her schedule at the Inn but the unexpected sweet gesture completely scattered her senses. "Oh my god they're beautiful, thank you," she said accepting the bouquet. She completely zoned out for a moment, so overwhelmed by him.

"Um, well okay, so we should get you all uh checked in," she said finally, completely forgetting where the front desk was, "and that's… over there."

"You okay?" Luke asked, slightly confused.

"Oh god, yeah. Me? I'm totally fine," she said trying to play it cool. She turned towards the desk and walked face-first into a passing door.

"Lorelai!" Luke reached for her, concerned she might have hurt herself.

"Oh god I'm fine, no problem. That was your door so you can just follow that on up. Rory?" Lorelai beckoned her, hopefully to save her from doing anything else stupid. Rory came forward with the key.

"My door, huh?" He watched the door being carried upstairs then gave her a look.

Lorelai barely managed to collect her wits but she understood exactly what he was thinking. Had she not waffled on her choice of doors, she would have had them installed weeks ago. She gave him a pretty shrug and he just shook his head as he started up the steps.

"We'll see you at dinner," she called after him. "Don't be late."

Luke turned halfway up the steps and gazed down at the mischievous face he loved so much. She gave him an exaggerated wink. He rolled his eyes in response but couldn't keep the smile off his face and he winked back before continuing up the stars.

Lorelai grinned goofily at Rory, who was beaming with happiness. Lorelai nodded, remembering she had an Inn full of guests and a man upstairs who loved her.

Yep, it was all going to work.

The End.

Oh. My. God. It took forever to finish but I am done! This story in its three forms has taken two years to get through! Thank you all for your patience, especially with the long delays. Your reviews, support, pleas for updates and threats have kept me going!

I had made a bargain with myself that I had to finish this before registering for the September Support Stacie Auction. Well, I'm done so I can register now! Here comes the shameless begging—Bid on me! I am going to make cookies again for the winner! For those of you who have never participated, it's a great cause and has a ton of terrific authors in many different forums, though why anyone would pick anything other than Gilmore Girls, I have no idea!

Here's the link. Take out the asterisk before you past the URL. */phpbb/